Program Impact and Reach

By The Numbers:

Since its beginning in October 2014 to January 2018, the DOTS program has reached a total of 11,902 individuals, including over 9,000 youth and 2,400 adults. This includes professional presentations, the DOTS kit lending program, training events, workshops, direct programs and kits that are on long-term loans at various Nature Centers and schools. The DOTS kits are well traveled throughout the state of Wisconsin through lending, outreach, and trainings. They’ve also been to U.S. locations like Yellowstone National Park and have even crossed international borders to Ontario, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Maps of Impact

Locations of DOTS Lending, Training, and Programs Outside Wisconsin

Location of DOTS programming throughout Wisconsin.

Case Studies and DOTS Program Reports

Wisconsin Water Monitoring

In the fall of 2017, Upham Woods received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (Grant no. EPA-00E02045) to support DOTS programming with a focus on local water quality. Collaborators in this project include Escuela Verde and the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, the School District of La Crosse, Northland College and Ashland and Bayfield County Extension programs. Check out the project website here.

Summer 2016: Island of Trinidad and Tobago

In July 2016, members of UWEX Faculty and Staff joined educators from Omaha, NE on their journey to Trinidad and Tobago. Using DOTS pedagogy and digital tools, they collected data on the flora, fauna, climate, geologic past, and cultural presence of the region. They explored coral reefs, rainforests, and everything in between. Catch up on the summer’s data collection and inquiry questions that arose from their experiences here. These educators then utilized DOTS kits in their regular classrooms, culminating in a student focused Wisconsin Science Immersion Experience in the Fall of 2017. For more on the student experience, click here.

Costa Rica – Summer 2015

DOTS “On Location”

DOTS on location in Costa Rica

To learn about some of the exciting ways DOTS kits are being used and shared across the globe see Dr. Justin Hougham’s report below summarizing a recent opportunity to bring DOTS mobile technology kits to a group of Science Educators traveling throughout Costa Rica.